The Circular Economy (CE) is a sustainable model for production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, and recycling materials and products to maximize their lifespan. This differs from the traditional linear economy model of ‘take-make-throw away’ to a circular model of ‘make-use-return’. It is estimated that implementing circular economy practices and strategies can reduce global GHG emissions by 39% and reduce the pressure on virgin materials by 28%.

CE is closely linked to the concept of Carbon Footprint (CF), which encompasses the total GHG emissions associated with the production, use, and end-of-life of products or services, including embedded emissions in imports. Transitioning to a CN economy requires efforts to reduce CF in household consumption, domestic economic activities, and imports. However, obtaining accurate CF data remains challenging in some sectors, necessitating ongoing development and application of technology for measurement and assessment. For instance, advancements in satellite imaging technology and rapid progress in data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) can accurately identify and measure emissions leaks, such as methane leaks from natural gas production.

In summary, the workforce driving these initiatives must possess specialized knowledge and skills, which are currently limited by available learning resources.